On the Force Capabilities of Two-Degree-of-Freedom Planar Parallel Mechanisms Equipped With Torque Limiters
Safety is the most important issue that should be considered when designing collaborative robots that are intended to physically interact with humans. This paper investigates the force capabilities of two-degree-of-freedom planar parallel mechanisms that are equipped with torque limiters (safety clutches). Joint torque limiting devices are used in these mechanisms in order to limit the forces that the robot can apply to its environment. Such devices aim at ensuring the safety of the human beings interacting with the robot. However, because the torque-limiting devices are mounted at the joints of the robot, the end-effector force capabilities induced by these devices are dependent on the pose (Jacobian matrix) of the robot. Therefore, the characteristics of the torque limiting devices must be determined at the design stage in order to ensure safety and maximize effectiveness in all possible poses of the robot. Two types of planar two-degree-of-freedom parallel mechanisms are considered in this paper. Their architecture is first described. Then, the force capabilities are studied based on the Jacobian matrices. The maximum force that can be applied at the end-effector for given torque limits (safety index) is determined together with the maximum isotropic force (effectiveness) that can be produced. The ratio between these two forces, referred to as the force efficiency, can be considered as a performance index. Finally, some numerical results are proposed which can provide insight into the design of cooperation robots based on parallel architectures.